Varadero weather in January

In January, Varadero sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 42 mm of rain across 7.9 wet days and about 10.7 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 36 min at the start of January to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Varadero's 7th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Varadero's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
12th warmest
Overnight low
22°
1st coldest
Rainfall
42 mm
7.9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
7:13 AM – 5:56 PM
Cloud cover
46%
7th clearest
Wind
24 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
3.83 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.6
out of 10

Varadero is resort town in Matanzas province, Cuba.

Density
625/km²
people per km²
Founded
1887

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month.

A typical January day in Varadero reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and on par with February.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12423
22423
32423
42422
52422
62422
72422
82422
92422
102422
112422
122422
132422
142422
152422
162422
172422
182422
192422
202422
212422
222422
232422
242422
252422
262422
272422
282422
292422
302422
312422

How January really feels in Varadero

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Varadero weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan24° / 22°427.910.77.6
Feb24° / 22°295.211.28.2
Mar25° / 23°245.211.88.2
Apr26° / 24°335.112.58.0
May27° / 25°699.513.17.0
Jun28° / 26°7512.413.45.8
Jul29° / 27°5110.713.35.7
Aug29° / 27°7313.412.85.3
Sep28° / 27°10917.712.14.7
Oct27° / 26°11616.811.55.6
Nov26° / 25°6310.410.96.9
Dec25° / 23°377.610.67.5

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 33%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26733
36634
46733
56733
66733
76634
86634
96634
106634
116634
126634
136535
146634
156634
166535
176535
186634
196634
206634
216634
226634
236634
246733
256832
266832
276931
287129
297129
307228
317327

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Varadero gets around 42 mm of rain over 7.9 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 25% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
126
226
326
426
526
626
727
827
927
1027
1127
1227
1327
1427
1527
1626
1726
1826
1925
2025
2125
2224
2324
2423
2523
2622
2722
2822
2922
3022
3122

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the muggy band about 39% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 59% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1613183529
2613183529
3613183528
4613183528
5613183527
6613183627
7614183626
8614183725
9614183724
10615183823
11715183922
12715183921
13715194020
14716194019
15716194118
16716194117
17716194117
18717194116
19717194116
20717194115
21718184115
22718184115
23718184115
24719184115
25719184115
26719174115
27719174216
28619174216
29619174216
30619174217
31619174217

Wind in January

Winds average 24 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 24 km/h on the calmest days to 25 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
125breezy
225breezy
325breezy
425breezy
525breezy
625breezy
725breezy
825breezy
925breezy
1025breezy
1125breezy
1225breezy
1325breezy
1425breezy
1525breezy
1625breezy
1725breezy
1824breezy
1924breezy
2024breezy
2124breezy
2224breezy
2324breezy
2424breezy
2524breezy
2624breezy
2724breezy
2824breezy
2924breezy
3024breezy
3124breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 36 min at the start of January to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:10 AM to 7:10 AM, and sunset from 5:46 PM to 6:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.67:105:46
210.67:105:47
310.67:115:47
410.67:115:48
510.67:115:49
610.67:115:49
710.67:125:50
810.67:125:50
910.77:125:51
1010.77:125:52
1110.77:125:52
1210.77:125:53
1310.77:135:54
1410.77:135:54
1510.77:135:55
1610.77:135:56
1710.77:135:57
1810.77:135:57
1910.87:135:58
2010.87:135:59
2110.87:125:59
2210.87:126:00
2310.87:126:01
2410.87:126:01
2510.87:126:02
2610.97:126:03
2710.97:126:03
2810.97:116:04
2910.97:116:05
3010.97:116:05
3110.97:106:06

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 3.83 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.63 kWh/m² to a high of 6.74 kWh/m² in July across the year — January's 3.83 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.6Moderate
23.7Moderate
33.7Moderate
43.7Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.7Moderate
123.8Moderate
133.8Moderate
143.8Moderate
153.8Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.9Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.9Moderate
223.9Moderate
234.0Moderate
244.0Bright
254.0Bright
264.1Bright
274.1Bright
284.1Bright
294.2Bright
304.2Bright
314.2Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Varadero

In seasonPeak

None of Varadero's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Varadero sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Varadero's rainy season runs May–June, when most of the year's rain falls.

Atlantic hurricane
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Varadero?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

7.6
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

January is one of the better times to visit Varadero for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Varadero in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Varadero sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 22°C. Worth packing: light clothes and a windbreaker. About 8 days see rain.

light clothesa windbreaker

Sea temperature near Varadero in January

The nearest coast averages about 26°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 13 km away) is warmest in August at about 29°C and coldest in February near 25°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb25Warm
Mar26Warm
Apr26Warm
May27Warm
Jun28Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov27Warm
Dec26Warm

UV index in Varadero in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Varadero peaks around June 20 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 6 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighJun 20UV 12Dec 17UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb8Very high
Mar10Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct9Very high
Nov6High
Dec6High

Air quality in Varadero in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Varadero is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.5× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1520 µg/m³Nov 236 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb7Good
Mar8Good
Apr10Good
May11Good
Jun18Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct9Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Varadero?

Varadero sits at 23.2°N, 81.2°W, 8 m above sea level, in Cuba. The nearest listed city is Cárdenas, 14 km away.

Topography around Varadero

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Varadero.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Varadero has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 13 m around an average of 1 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 130 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 365 m.

The land around Varadero is covered by water (89%) within 3 km, water (76%) within 16 km, and water (44%) and trees (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
13 m
16 km
130 m
80 km
365 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
January weather nearby: Cárdenas 14 km · Limonar 29 km · Matanzas 37 km · Jovellanos 40 km · Pedro Betancourt 48 km · Perico 49 km · Unión de Reyes 50 km · Colón 60 km

Cuba travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / L
110 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 39% of US
price level, 2011
GDP per capita
$9,605
2020
Happiness
5.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2011
Homicide rate
4.5
per 100k, 2019
Road deaths
8.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 515
Religion
Christian 59%none 23%folk religion 18%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Varadero (23.1568°, -81.2444°, elevation 8 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).